Steering-knuckle for automobiles.



No. 876,104. PATENTED JAN. 7, 1908. H SMITH STEERING KNUCKLE FOR AUTOMOBILES.

APPLICATION FILED FEB 1a 1907 lA/V'lV 70/? 5 6/26 daze 62/76 5/7 e. R IM (1 av HINSDALE SMITH, OF SPRINGFIELD, MASSACHUSETTS.

STEERING-KNUCKLE FOR AUTOMOBILES.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Jan. 7, 1908.

Application filed February 13, 1907- Serial No. 357.179.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, HINsDALE SMITH, a citizen of the United States of America, and resident of Springfield, in the county of Hampden and State of Massachusetts, have invented certain new and useful Improve tion, one in which dirt will not readily ac-.

cumulate, one susceptible of being readily and cheaply made and assembled, and one in which greater swivel bearing surfaces are afforded than in the steering knuckles of or dinary construction.

To these ends, the invention may be said to consist in the principles of construction indicated in the following specification and claims, and the preferred embodiment of which is illustrated in the accompanying drawings, wherein:

Figure 1 is an elevation of a rigid front axle of a motor vehicle, the same being broken awayin the center and bearing at each end a preferred embodiment of my invention; Fig. 2 is avertical section on the line 2-2, looking in the direction of the arrows; Fig.3isasection on the line 3 3, looking in the direction of the arrows; Fig. 4 is a section on the line 44, looking in the direction of the arrows; Fig. 5 is a detail showing the preferred form of interlocking engagement between the rigid post and steering arm; and Fig. 6 is a perspective view of the rotary sleeve with a portion of the stub journal attached.

Referring now to these drawings, a indicates the fixed front axle, 1),?) the steering knuckles at the ends thereof, and f, f the steering knuckle arms.

The construction of the illustrated form of steering knuckle will now be more particularly described: Forged rigidly with the ends of the axle a are the upright posts or pillars 10, each provided at its lower end with a depending boss 17. Each post is inclosed by a rotatable sleeve 12, provided with a lateral aperture 18 for reception of the axle, such aperture extending upward from the sleeve-bottom to a point slightly above the top of the axle in the norrna position of the latter, and being of sufficient width to allow the necessary play of the sleeve.

The top of the sleeve 12 is provided with an integral member or cap 13, which extends over the top of the post, and serves to prevent dirt settling within the swivel bearing.

It will be seen that the cylindrical wall of the sleeve above the aperture 18 constitutes means integrally united with the sleeve for preventing this member from dropping away from the post; but it will be obvious that, were the slot of such length as to deprive the wall of this function, then the integral cap 13 would serve the same purpose. Such an arrangement is a great gain in security over those constructions employing a nut or the like to prevent an encircling sleeve from dro ping away from its inclosed post.

T 1e sleeve 12, as will be readily appreciated, is rotatable for the purpose of permitting the plane of the wheel to be changed, and for this purpose bears the stub journal d, preferably integrally attached.

In order to prevent the post and axle dropping away from the sleeve, a removable looking member is provided closing the bottom of the sleeve. Preferably, though not necessarily, this locking member, which also con stitutes a supporting member sustaining the lower end of the post, is constituted by the inner end 19,0f the steering arm f, such inner end of the arm being received in a socket 16 extending transversely across the interior of the sleeve 12 and formed by the aperture 20 at one side of the lower end of the sleeve and the internal recess 21 at the opposite side thereof.

The upper surface of the member 19 has formed therein a depression 15 designed to receive the end boss 17 of the post; and the interlocking engagement effected by this arrangement is made secure by means of a set screw '14 passing downward through the cap 13 and bearing against the top of the post 10.

In assembling the parts, the post is slipped upward within the sleeve, the axle being received within the recess or aperture 18. The post is slipped upward until the top of the axle contacts with the portion of the wall of the sleeve forming the upper boundary of the aperture. The end of the steering arm may now be slipped through the aperture 20 and into the recess 21, in which position its depression 15 will be directly below the end lid boss 17. The post is now allowed to drop slightly until the boss seats itself within the depression and the lower end of the post rests firmly on the end of the steering arm. Finally, the set screw is forced downward until it engages with the top of the post.

While the boss 17 and depression 15 have been illustrated as a desirable embodiment of means for securing the locking member 19 in place, it should be understood that other methods of insuring the retention of this member might be employed. Further, while it is considered strikingly novel to constitute the steering arm or a portion thereof as such locking member, yet it will be obvious that the arm need not necessarily be borne by this member. In fact, it is realized that many other embodiments of the underlying principles of my invention would be possible; and all such falling within the scope of the appended claims are regarded as coming within the invention.

What is claimed as new is:

1. In a steering knuckle, the combination with the fixed axle and a stationary upright post at the end thereof, of a rotatable sleeve bearing a stub ournal inclosing said post and having an integral cap covering the top thereof, said sleeve having a lateral axle-receiving opening extending upward from its bottom, whereby the sleeve may be slipped down into position from the upper end of the spindle.

2. In a steering knuckle, the combination with the fixed axle and a rigid upright post at the end thereof, of a rotatable sleeve bearing a stub journal inclosing said post and having a member extending over the top thereof, said sleeve being constructed to be slipped down into position over the u per end of the spindle, and a removable loc ing member closing the sleeve below said post agld receiving the weight sustained by the a e.

3. In a steering knuckle, the combination with the fixed axle and a rigid upright post at the end thereof, of a rotatable sleeve bearing a stub journal inclosing said post, being constructed to be slipped down into position over the upper end of the spindle, and a removable locking member closing the sleeve below said post.

4c. In a steering knuckle, the combination with the fixed axle and a rigid upright post at the end thereof, of a rotatable sleeve bearing a stub journal inclosing said post, and having a removable bearing member extending below and supporting the lower end of said post.

5. In a steering knuckle, the combination with the fixed axle and a rigid upright post at the end thereof, of a rotatable sleeve having a stub journal inclosing said post and extending integrally over the top thereof, said sleeve having a lateral axle-receiving opening extending upward from its bottom, and a removable locking and bearing member supporting the lower end of said post and secured to said sleeve.

6. In a steering knuckle, the combination with the fixed axle and a rigid upright post at the end thereof, of a rotatable sleeve bearing a stub journal inclosing said post, a removable locking and post-supporting rnember being constructed to be slipped down into position over the upper end of the spindle closing the sleeve below said post, and a steering arm borne by said member.

7. In a steering knuckle, the combination with the fixed axle and a rigid upright post at the end thereof, of a rotatable sleeve bearing a stub journal inclosing said post and having a lateral closedtop open-bottom aperture receiving the axle, and a removable bearing member carried by said sleeve and supporting said post.

8. In a steering knuckle, the combination with the fixed axle and a rigid upright post at the end thereof, of a rotatable sleeve bearing a stub journal inclosing said post, and a removable locking and bearing member closing the lower end of said sleeve and having a depression into which fits a projection on the lower end of said post.

9. In a steering knuckle, the combination with the fixed axle and a rigid upright post at the end thereof provided with a depending boss on its lower end, of a rotatable sleeve bearing a stub journal inclosing said post and having a lateral aperture receivin said axle and extending upward from the s eevebottom to a point above the top of the axle in its normal position, and a removable looking and bearing member closing the lower end of said sleeve and having a=.-depression within which fits said boss.

10. In a steering knuckle, the combination with the fixed axle and a rigid upright post at the end thereof provided with a depending boss at its lower end, of a rotatable sleeve bearing a stub journal inclosing said post and having a lateral aperture receiving said axle and extending upward from the sleevebottom to a point above the top of the axle in its normal position, a removable locking and bearing member closing the lower end of said sleeve and having a depression within which fits said boss, and means for forcing the post downward into engagement with said member.

11.. In a steering knuckle, the combination with the fixed axle and a rigid upright post at the end thereof provided with a depending boss at its lower end, of a rotatable sleeve bearing a stub journal inclosing said post and having a cap extending over the top thereof, and having also a lateral aperture receiving said axle and extending upward from the sleeve-bottom to a point above the top of the axle in its normal position, a removable locking and bearing member closing the lower end of said sleeve and having a depression within which fits said boss, and a set screw passing downward through said cap to bear upon the upper end of the post.

12. In a steering knuckle, the combination with the fixed axle and a rigid upright post at the end thereof, of a rotatable sleeve bearing a stub journal inclosing said post, a locking member closing the sleeve below said post, and means for securing said member in position.

13. In a steering knucke, the combination with the fixed axle and a rigid upright post at the end thereof, of a rotatable sleeve hearing a stub journal inclosing said post and having registering apertures in the lower portions of its walls, and a removable locking member and steering arm received within said apertures and closing the lower end of the sleeve.

14. In a steering knuckle, the combination with the fixed axle and a rigid post at the end thereof, of a rotatable sleeve bearing a stub journal inelosing said post, being constructed to be slipped down into position over the u per end of the spindle and a removable loc ing member closing the sleeve below said post and having interlocking engagement therewith.

15. In a steering knuckle, the combination with the fixed axle and a rigid upright post at the end thereof, of a rotatable sleeve bearing a stub ournal inclosing said post, being constructed to be slipped down into position over the upper end of the spindle, and a steering arm removably secured to and closing the lower end of said sleeve and having interlocking engagement with said post.

Signed by me at Springfield, Mass, in presence of two subscribing witnesses.

HINSDALE SMITH.

Vitnesses WVM. S. BELLOWS, G. R. DRISCOLL. 

